M.Ed. in Health and Physical Education

The Master of Education in Health and Physical Education is a 36-credit program that serves the needs of three populations. The first population includes current health and physical educators who are certified teachers in Pennsylvania. The program benefits these individuals through studying contemporary trends in teacher education, broadening their knowledge base in health and physical education, and enhancing their skills as educators with updated teaching methods.

The second population consists of teachers who are certified in another area and wish to add health and physical education to their certificate. Students who hold only an elementary certification will be required to complete 6 semester hours of student teaching at the secondary level. Students who hold only a secondary certification will be required to complete 6 semester hours of student teaching at the elementary level.

The third population includes those who currently have a nonteaching bachelor’s degree and wish to become certified health and physical educators. In addition to completing the 36 credit hours of course work, students seeking initial certification must complete 12 hours of student teaching. The content and field experiences included in this program are based on the national standards of the American Association for Health Education and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Those students not seeking teaching certification in Health and Physical Education may choose between a thesis and non-thesis track.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Health and Physical Education Department, the applicant must have completed the requirements for a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and must fulfill the general requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies and Research for a master’s degree. Selection of students will be through a screening process conducted by the Graduate Pedagogy Committee of the department. Other admission requirements to be admitted to the M.Ed. in Health and Physical Education program include:

Completion of undergraduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher

Passage of Praxis I exam for applicants not certified as teachers

Current and acceptable Act 34 and 151 clearances

Completion of TB test

Completion of Speech and Hearing Test

Current CPR Instructor Certificate

Completion of aquatics course or approved certification program

Completion of the following courses or approved course substitution:

Anatomy and Physiology

Exercise Physiology

Biomechanics or Kinesiology

6 credits of mathematics

3 credits of English composition

3 credits of English literature

Educational Psychology

Fulfillment of general requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies and Research for a master’s degree

Fulfillment of requirements set by the College of Education and Educational Technology

Program Requirements

Non-Thesis Track (Includes Teaching Certification)

A. Core Courses (6 cr.)

HPED 634

Current Literature in Health, Fitness, and Sport

3 cr.

HPED 640

Research Methods for Health, Sport, and Physical Activity

3 cr.

B. Required Courses (27 cr.)

HPED 526

Health Science Instruction

3 cr.

HPED 631

Motor Learning

3 cr.

HPED 632

Assessment of Human Physiological Functions

3 cr.

HPED 645

Advanced Teaching Techniques in Physical Education

3 cr.

HPED 655

Health and Fitness for Elementary Children

3 cr.

HPED 670

Advanced Seminar in Adapted Physical Education

3 cr.

HPED 680

Seminar

3 cr.

COMM 600

Instructional Design and Development

3 cr.

or

COMM 614

Instructional Computing Basics

3 cr.

or

as approved by the M.Ed. Graduate coordinator

EDEX 560

Family Perspective on Disability

3 cr.

or

EDEX 650

Exceptional Children and Youth

3 cr.

C. Elective Courses (3 cr.)*

HPED 512

Physical Activity and Stress Management

3 cr.

HPED 550

Curriculum and Programming in Sexuality Education

3 cr.

HPED 650

Wellness: A Classroom Approach

3 cr.

HPED 658

Emergency Management for Schools

3 cr.

HPED 672

Epidemiology of Physical Activity

3 cr.

HPED 681

Special Topics

3 cr.

*HPED 698

Internship 3 cr.

Students who are certified K-12 in another subject area will be required to complete a 3-credit internship in the school setting.

*Choice of elective will be based upon student’s undergraduate course record, graduate course record, and permission of advisor.

D. Professional Practice (6-12 cr.)

Students seeking initial certification as health and physical education teachers must also student teach as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students demonstrating acceptable levels of knowledge, skills, and disposition will be permitted to enroll in EDUC 421 and/or EDUC 441 Student Teaching. A review of student teaching applicant’s graduate record will be conducted by the HPE Graduate Pedagogy Committee, which will determine if the student has met all requirements to move ahead with certification. Those who are determined to be deficient will not be permitted to student teach. They will receive a degree without Pennsylvania teaching certification.

Those who are certified as elementary teachers will complete 6 credits in secondary student teaching.

Those certified as secondary teachers will complete 6 credits of elementary student teaching.

Noncertified students must complete both the elementary and secondary student teaching for a total of 12 credits.